Improved belting for driving machinery



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE,

M. A. STROUVELLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVED B ELT'ING FOR DRIVING MACHINERY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 69,042, dated September17, 1867.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, M. A. STROUVELLE, of St. Eouis, in the county of St.Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Belting for Machinery; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to fully understand and make use of the same.

This invention or discovery relates to a new and improved mode of makingbelting for machinery; and consists in preparing and ouring hideswithout tanning, in the manner hereinafter described.

The belting made by my improved process of treating hides possessesdouble the strength of leather belting as ordinarily made by tanning ofhides of equal thickness and quality when dry, and the time required forthe manufacture does not exceed one month, instead of six or eightmonths required for tanning. The process is also much cheaper than thatof tanning leather belting. It stretches less than either leather orindia-rubber belting, works with more regularity and uniformity on thepulleys, and wears much longer.

The method of preparing and curing the hides to manufacture my improvedbelting is as follows, to wit: First, the hide must be dried by what istermed the Indian process, without the use of salt, and by a freeexposure to the air, so that it shall not-undergo any putrefactionbefore it is thoroughly dried; second, the dry hide is then to be soakedfor ten or fifteen days in rain-water or other pure soft water; third,the hair is then taken off mechanically by shaving with a proper knife;

' fourth, the hide is then carefully stretched and smoothed on the sideof a building, or on suitable frames, with great force, to extend it inall directions as tight as possible, and it is,

then thoroughly dried in the shade while in this position; fifth, afterbeing dried, a composition of oil and tallow is applied by rubbing itinto the hide thoroughly to soften and render it more pliant.

After this treatment the hide is ready for use as belting, and is sawedinto strips of suits. able width, which may be coupled together.

with rivets, in the usual way.

paired, and is not deprived of any of its natu-:

ral strength and tenacity, only the hair and ,1 excess of flesh on theinside of the hide being, I removed by the operation of currying with at proper shaving-knife.

As shown by experiments with my improved rawhide belting, its texture orbody is very compact, even, and solid, and'possesses im-1 mense power ofresistanceto strain or abra. sion-qualities essential in beltlng for machincry.

Having described my invention or discovery and the means by which it iscarried into practical operation, I claim as new and desire to,

secure by Letters Patent Rawhide belting for machinery, as a new articleof manufacture, prepared substantially.

as herein described. 3

M. A. sTRoUvE LE.

Witnesses H. SCHMARBERG, FRANK HIGH.

